Published May 14, 2016 at 3:44 PM | Updated at 4:15 PM PDT on May 14, 2016

Photographer Changes History One Image at a Time

Photographer Nick Ut's work during the Vietnam War may have altered the course of history and he continues to inspire the LA community. Gordon Tokumatsu reports for the 2016 NBC4 Asian Pacific Heritage Month Special. (Published Saturday, May 14, 2016)

From the dangers of the Vietnam War, to the everyday news scene in Los Angeles, photographer Nick Ut is a groundbreaker in the Asian American community.

"Every picture I've ever seen that Nick has produced and published, you just see that quality," said Battalion Chief Jaime Moore of the Los Angeles Fire Department.

Ut, a Vietnamese-American, is best known for being the man behind the lens of the image that historians believe had a role in ending the Vietnam War. That image is of a young girl running naked down a dirt road, desperately trying to escape a napalm attack on the village where she lived.

The picture made a remarkable impact in the United States, and only six months later, a ceasefire was signed. Ut, who was only 16 when he began covering the war informally, received a Pulitzer Prize for the image and recalls the moments vividly.